gradual period of time? >> it was gradual. i gradually cried to claw back bits of life. one of the things that helped me was to be simple in the united states. i was allowed to come here by the american authorities and live a private life freely so i gained my liberty back here gradually. in the end there was a deal between the governments and tha. >> an honor to have you here. i'm glad you made it this far. the ed show is up next. good eengs, americans. welcome to the ed show from new york. 49 days until the 2011 election. mitt romney's comment about the 47% has america talking. tonight more of the shocking undercover tape and president obama weighs in for a first time. in the "the ed show." let's get to work. >> others say you kissed half the electorate good-bye this election year. that you called them moochers.

did you? >> mitt romney continues the cleanup after last night's disaster. "mother jones" has released the full video of a mitt romney fund-raiser, and it gets even worse for the republican. tonight senator bernie sanders on america's first glimpse of the real mitt romney. bob sha rum and eugene robinson on the political disaster for republicans. david k. johnson on the 47% of american victims mitt romney is dismissing. and richard wolf on romney's disastrous view of the middle east. >> we have a potentially volatile situation, and we sort of have to live with it. field and ultimately somehow something will happen to resolve it. >> thanks for watching. for the the better part of the year mitt romney tried to let people know who he is. the hidden camera video from a

florida closed door fund-raiser has been released in full. at one point during the $50,000 per plate dinner romney talked about how he is refining his stump speech. >> i wind up talking about the thing i find most disappointing in this president is his attack of -- of one american against another american. the division of america, based on going after those who have been successful. >> less than 60 seconds after romney said barack obama pits americans against each other, romney answered this question. >> don't worry, we'll take care of it. how are we going to do it two months before the election to quinn everybody to take care of themselves? >> there are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. they believe that they're victims who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe they're entitled to health care,

to food, to housing, to you name it. >> romney claims the president is causing resentment between americans, but romney himself is outlining a class war between two distinct halves of the country. romney stumbled to address the comments he made the at a fund-raiser in a late news conference last night. romney made the matters only worse for thihimself. >> it's not elegantly stated. i'm speaking off the cuff in response to a question, and i'm sure i could state it more clearly in a more effective way than i did in a setting like is that. so i'm sure i'll point that out as time goes on. we don't have the question, given the snippet there, nor the full response. i up hope the person bho has the video would put out the full -- the full material. >> no, no, no. wait a minute now. don't have the question, just a snippet? we played the full question and answer last night on this program, and we were not alone in doing so.

romney is just trying to duck and dodge at this point. by the way, who calls a press conference at 10:00 at night? he bailed on the news conference before answering a question about what he actually believes. >> at a fund-raiser you have people say governor, how are you going to win this? i respond, well the president has his group, and i have my group. i want to keep my team strong and motivated and i want to get those people in the middle. that's something which fund-raising people, who are parting with their monies, are very interested in knowing, can you win or not. that's what this was addressing. thank you. >> in the video, are those core convictions what you believe? >> now, that would be an incomplete performance, would at any time? maybe the reason he walked away so hastily is because these are his core beliefs. to many americans these beliefs are pretty doggone ugly, saying 47% of the country sees themselves as victims might play well in a room full of

millionaires, but it doesn't go over very well with the rest of the country. >> 47% of americans pay no income taxes. so our message of low taxes doesn't connect. and he'll be out there talking about tax duts for the rich. i mean that's what they sell every four years. my job is not to worry about those people. i'll never convince them to that they need to take personal responsibility. >> if you're a person struggling to make it, ask yourself this question. how does it make you feel when a presidential candidate says that you will never take personal responsibility and care for your life? mitt romney says you will never be convinced and he's willing to let you fall by the wayside. that's his planning. romney reiterated his position on fox news today. >> you said your wording might have been inelegant, but others say you kissed half the electorate good-bye this election year. you all but called them

moochers. did you? >> no. i'm talking about a perspective of individuals who i'm not likely to get to support me. i recognize that those people who are not paying income tax are going to say, gosh, this provision that mitt keeps talking about, lowering income tax s, that's not really attractive to him and those dependent on government. >> many people who pay no federal income tax already plan on voting for mitt romney. more on that later in this program. now, according to romney, these voters are dependent on government, so they will never stroet for a guy like him who wants to shrink government. what about groups romney is courting like seniors? >> seniors are, of course, people i'm getting in large numbers. i have great support from seniors because they're unhappy with the fact that president obama's obama care cuts medicare by $716 billion. >> so let's get this straight. if you're an obama supporter and

you use government programs, mitt romney has no use for you. but if your vote is up for grabs and you use a government program like medicare, mitt romney thinks, hey, you're the greatest. for those of us who have been paying attention to mitt romney for the past two years, none of this is really shocking. romney let us know many times what he really thinks about people who use government assistance. >> if you're looking for free stuff, if you're looking for free stuff you don't have to pay for, vote for the other guy. that's what he's all about, okay? that's not what i'm about. >> that's one of his favorites. romney loves accusing people of mooching for free stuff. when he spoke to the naacp in july romney was booed for saying he would repeal obama care. later that day he told a fund-raiser crowd, if you want more stuff from government, tell them to go vote for the other guy, more free stuff. this is not just idle talk. this is what voters across

america, i think, need to comprehend. mitt romney does not believe americans should be given a leg up if they are struggling. no safety net. the proof is in the policies that he supports. you don't center to look much farther than the bgt plan pro prosed by romney's running mate paul ryan. 62% of proposed cuts come from programs for low income people. $3.3 trillion will be cut from medicaid, pell grants, food stamps, job training and more. if that doesn't convince you, take a look at romney's tax plan. americans making under, i say under $30,000 a year, the moochers that, you know, romney is always talking about, they're going to pay actually more in taxes under president romney if he gets there. millionaires get tax cuts by at least 6.9%. in the past romney's said the least fortunate among us are already taken care of by government programs. >> i've in this race because i

care about americans. i'm not concerned about the very poor. we have a safety net there. if it needs repair, i'll fix it. >> he'll fix it all right. if romney and ryan have their way, the social safety net will be debilitated, gone, privatized. you can count on it. this is why romney doesn't care about getting the vote of the 47% of the country. he's not just talking about winning an election but an ideology. he's getting ready to let them fall right through the safety net that this country has provided. you know, those compassionate conservatives that used to be around to try to sell us their stuff about how good they are. earlier this evening the president was on david letterman. he draesed the video comments for the first time. >> mitt romney at a fund-raiser in florida, there's a cell phone videotaping his remarks. he talks in dismissive terms why 47% of the people voting don't

matter to him. what does that mean? is that what rich guys at country clubs are talking about? >> well, i don't know what he was referring to, but i can tell you this. when i won in 2008, 47% of the american people voted for john mccain, they didn't vote for me. when what i said on election night, even though you didn't vote for me, i hear your voices and i'm going to work as hard as i can to be your president. one of the things i learned as president is you represent the entire country, and when i meet republicans as i'm traveling around the country, they are hardworking family people who care deeply about this country. my expectation is that if you want to be president, you got to

work for everybody, not just for some. >> ultimately, that's what the presidential election has come down to. do you want a president who will work for every american or just the most fortunate ones? get your cell phones out. we want to know what you think tonight. tonight's question. should mitt romney exercise some personal responsibility and apologize to 47% of america? text a for yes and text b for no to 622639. of course, you can leave a comment on our blog at he had.msnbc.com. joining me tonight is senator bernie sanders, independent from vermont. great to have you with us tonight. is mitt romney's characterization of the 47% accurate at all? >> no, it's not accurate. here it is, ed, coming from a guy born to a millionaire family who went to elite schools, who believes that the middle class starts at $200,000, who doesn't

reveal his taxes because he -- his tax returns because he took so many loopholes. what galls me is we have millions of people in this country who come from families like my own, working class families, people who have worked hard their entire lives, working 50, 60 hours a week. now they're on medicare. now they're on social security, and they're being lectured by this millionaire guy that they have got to take personal responsibility and care for their lives. being lectured by him. to me, ed, this speaks toward extraordinary arrogance on the part of romney and his -- if i may use the term ruling class friends who apparently think that the working people of this country who are struggling to support their families today, some of whom will be medicare on social security, are somehow

inferior human beings who need guidance, who are not smart enough to take personal responsibility for their lives and care for their lives. what does this tell about his attitude to the vast majority of people? we're not smart enough? we don't have enough dignity to want to work? people in this country work harder than the people in any other industrialized country on earth. they don't need to be lectured by millionaires and billionaires about the work ethic that they fulfill. >> senator, it could be 47%, 45%, could be any kind of number. isn't mitt romney speaking to a philosophy that there are moochers, that there are takers that earn benefits don't count anymore and we have to eliminate them? isn't this exactly what the conservative movement really wants in the end game? >> well, i think it is that, ed, and it's something. it's saying if you listen to

romney's words that people don't know how to take sfont for their own lives and care for their own lives. what we have to show them is to cut social security, medicare, medicaid and education because you are too dumb or have no sense of responsibility and you're not prepared to work for your living. we have to teach you how to work and we're going to punish you. if you don't work, you'll be in a whole lot of trouble. there is no question. what romney is about is representing a philosophy that says if you're rich and powerful, you have a right to rule. you get it all. but if you're in the middle class, you're in the working class, you're low income we teach you a lesson. we're going to cut and make it harder for your kids to go to college. we're going to cut your social security and medicaid and make it harder for you to get the nutrition that you need. i think that is an outrageous and arrogant statement, and i hope the american people are listening. >> certainly a lot of people in this country, democrats and on the left, have known this about

mitt romney, but now it's some pretty severe confirmation. senator bernie sanders, great to have you with us tonight. i appreciate your time. i wish we had more time. thank you so much. remember to answer tonight's question at the bottom of the screen and share your thoughts on twitter and ed show and on facebook. we want to know what you think. coming up, the florida fund-raiser mitt romney may have given real insight into why president obama is likely to be re-elected. more from the videotape. eugene robinson and bob shrum, how does he mop it up?

coming up, more of mitt romney caught atape. he reveals why he thinks barack obama will be re-elected. eugene robinson and bob shrum join me next. we'll look at the 47% and who they really are. romney's comments are getting a mixed reaction from the right wing. while some try to make a false ekwifl see to president obama's caught on tape comments in 2008.

we'll have all the details. share your thoughts with us on facebook and on twitter using the #edshow. we're coming right back. [ humming ] [ male announcer ] kraft macaroni & cheese. you know you love it. governor of getting it done. you know how to dance... with a deadline. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. this is awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is, business pro. yes, it is. go national. go like a pro. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels

speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! welcome back. thanks for watching. mitt romney didn't just insult half the country in the florida fund-raising video, he may have provided real insight into why president obama has a strong chance of being re-elected. after a long question about president obama not keeping his promises and aa lack of government tanz parent see, romney explained why it's so hard to get middle of the road voters on his side.

>> we speak with voters across the country about their perceptio perceptions. those people i told that the 5 or 6 or 7% that we have to bring out on our side, they all avoted for barack obama four years ago. by the way, when you say to them, do you think barack obama is a failure, they overwhelmingly say no. they like him, but when you say are you disappointed that his policies haven't worked? they say yes. because they voted for him they don't want to be told that they were wrong, that he's a bad guy, that he did bad things and he's corrupt. those people that we have to get, they believe they did the right thing, but he just wasn't up to the task. they love the phrase that he's over his head. >> if president obama wins re-election it may be because the first part of what romney said is correct, but the second part is wrong. people that voted for the president four yerz still like him. though they may be disappointed,

they do not believe he is in over his head. let's turn to democratic strategist bob shrum tonight and eugene robinson. great to have you with us. bob, how damaging is this to romney? he better be mr. october if he's going to turn it around? >> i think it's really damaging. there's a thing called water cooler conversation, which is most people don't sit around paying attention to politics the way we do. there are things that break through because they happen, and you meet somebody at the water cooler at the office next morning and you say did you see what that guy said? what he was was callous and idiotic and untrue. this is the guy who likes to fire people and ran bain. if you watch and listen to him in that tape, he is so much more comfortable talking to those people sitting there paying 50,000 bucks aapiece and dumping on people who live a more

ordinary life. >> yeah. eugene, there's no question that mitt romney went on the offensive today defending himself. he looks incompetent. he looks unsure of himself. how damaging is it? >> you know, this is the second week in a row, because after his inappropriate libya comments, he came out and looked unsure. he looked unsteady on his feet. he did again today. i'd be unsteady, too, if i were trying to run for president on a platform of, you know, no more coddling the servants, which is essentially his platform. we uber mention must be tougher with those down below and make them work harder. it's appalling and insulting, and so i think i would be shaky, too, if that's what i was left with. >> eugene, how does he come back and connect with the largest

voting bloc in the country, the middle class in all of this? >> he hasn't been able to do that to this point. i don't know frankly. i really don't know. you're wearing the jeans doesn't seem to work. not wearing the tie doesn't seem to work. he doesn't have that sort of faculty, that sort of ability to connect with people on that level. now he's announced that he really doesn't care to do so, as a matter of fact. he wants to connect with the folks at that fund-raiser. >> nbc news just released a brand-new poll, and the numbers are very bad for mitt romney. the poll was taken before the fund-raising video surfaced. president obama leads by five points among likely voters. on the economy the president now ties romney. on looking out for the middle class, president obama holds a nearly 20-point lead. what do these numbers mean, and what's your reaction to how the president handled the 47%

question from david letterman? >> i thought the president handled the letterman question brilliantly. he was -- he acted like somebody who could be commander in chief who is president who can speak for and to the whole country. mitt romney wishes he could etch-a-sketch this fund-raiser and etch-a-sketch the whole last three weeks. eugene is absolutely right. last week he had libya and this week he has this. his campaign has become a permanent damage control machine dealing with one crisis after another. he's going to hope that he can do something in the debate. i just don't think he's going to suddenly morph into john f. kennedy. he looks awkward talking to him. the only time he's comfortable in the whole campaign is in that tape out of the fund-raiser. >> eugene, will he lose seniors over this? >> i think he'll lose some. he won't lose them all. i think he'll lose some. i think he'll probably lose some support aacross the board, and it's interesting to watch the tracking polls and other polls

as this kind of filters out and settles in. this didn't do him any good. >> great to have you with us tonight. bob and eugene, thank you so much. up next mitt romney aattattacks 47% of americans who don't pay taxes. turns out a lot are republicans. we'll show you why this could be a huge problem for mitt romney. we've got more of romney's comments through his donors solving the israeli/palestinian conflict is a goal for president. mitt romney says if he's president he won't do anything to help it along. richard wolf will join me to discuss romney's unbelievable comments. stay tuned.

when you take a closer look... ...at the best schools in the world... ...you see they all have something very interesting in common. they have teachers... ...with a deeper knowledge of their subjects. as a result, their students achieve at a higher level. let's develop more stars in education. let's invest in our teachers... ...so they can inspire our students. let's solve this. those little things for you, life's about her. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat

ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.

good to have you back with you on the ed show. mitt romney comments about the 47% of people that don't pay income taxes, it's wrong on a number of levels. now, we'll break down the numbers and explain why he's insulting his strongest supporters in a moment. first, here's what romney said. >> there are 47% people who vote for the president no matter what. all right. there are 47% who are with him wo depend on government who believe they are victims who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them. who believe they're entitled to health care, food, housing, to you name it. that that's an entitlement, and

the government should give it. they will vote for this president no matter what. the mean the president starts off with a huge number. these are people who pay no income taxes. my job is not to worry about nose people. i'll never convince them to take personal responsibility and take care of their lives. i have to convince the 5% to 10%. >> what you say behind closed doors is really who you are. i'm joined by david k. johnson who is a pulitzer prizewinning author. romney was basically right about one thing. 46.4% of americans don't pay federal income taxes. here's the real breakdown from the tax policy center. two thirds of romney's 47% actually do pay payroll taxes. david, the rest are elderly, who make less than $20,000 a year. >> that's right.

they're elderly soshgs they used to work and pay taxes, or they're working very hard at jobs that pay very little money? >> who is romney insulting here by the chart? >> he is insulting people who come from the states that supported mccain by and large. he's insulting people who worked hard at the businesses run by people like mitt romney that paid very low wages. >> here another way to look at the numbers. look at the states in rechltd the tax foundation says in 2008 these southern states had the highest percentage of nonpayers. david, florida has an elderly population. this just totally goes against the people that have supported the republicans, especially romney. >> absolutely. eight of these ten states were mccain states in 2008. i mean, it shows how romney is really not sophisticated about these things and hasn't thought through what he's saying and he's managed to talk to people. i talked to college graduates

insulted for various reasons like credits they get for going to college. they're not paying taxes the year after they get out of school. >> sure. look at how the same people voted in 2008. the republicans rely on the elderly and the working poor who don't pay federal income tax. david, romney is insulting basically his base. >> yes. he's not doing anything to attract people who may not like obama and perhaps could be won over with this at all. he's going on the attack against these people and saying, you're not really worthy. >> now, let's break down this. more than 10% of the people romney complained about are elderly. 70% of them voted in 2008. 53% picked mccain. the latest "new york times"/cbs poll shows that 53% support romney. david, doesn't romney understand that these nontax-paying people out there are supporters that were with mccain and ought to be with him? >> either the republican party depends on moochers and the

strivers must be the one voting for the democrats, or romney hasn't thought it through. >> there's one more thing we need to say about romney's 47%. romney says those 47% are dependent on government assistance and should take personal responsibility for their lives, but the poor actually carry a heavier tax burden than the rich guys like romney, correct? >> that's exactly right. >> so people on the bottom rung of the economic ladder pay an average 12%, and their income is, of course, in state and local taxes. that's where that is going. the middle class pays 11%, and the wealthiest americans pay half of what the poorest americans pay. in other words, the poor do pay taxes, and they pay, i think, arguably an unfair share. >> absolutely. they pay very heavily, and this is a really killer chart about your state fax burdtax burden.

50% higher. >> in economic terms in presentation to the american people, how bad is his campaign? >> i think this is worse than mcgovern's campaign in '72, which was a disaster from the beginning. it's astonishing to see someone who holds himself out as a businessman, didn't have a plan for this campaign. didn't think through how to appeal to people so he could take those people that feel obama is a good guy and isn't doing a good job and draw them over to him. he's alienating these people. it's astonishing. that combined with his gaffes about the middle east and london makes you wonder what kind of judgment he has. that's the only test he has. what's your judgment as president? >> if you look at all the charts we put out there and who he insulted, look at it from prom any campaign's position. we really didn't mean that, but still, he's got a lot of explaining to do in a short period of time. david k., thanks for joining us tonight. there's a lot more coming up in

the next half hour of "the ed show." stay with us. >> we have a potentially volatile situation. >> another shocker from the romney video. forget leading from behind. mitt romney doesn't want to lead at all when it comes to middle east peace. >> we kick the wall down the field and hope that ultimately somehow something will happen. >> richard wolf on the other disaster from the romney tapes. and some righties call mitt romney's 47% remarks arrogant and stupid. then there's rush limbaugh. >> this is a golden opportunity, and we know romney has got it in him because of what he said to the people. >> we'll show you how the righties are reacting to romney's disaster. [ male announcer ] the 2013 smart comes with 8 airbags, a crash management system and the world's only tridion safety cell which can withstand over three and a half tons. small in size. big on safety.

to compete on the global stage. what we need are people prepared for the careers of our new economy. by 2025 we could have 20 million jobs without enough college graduates to fill them. that's why at devry university, we're teaming up with companies like cisco to help make sure everyone's ready with the know how we need for a new tomorrow. [ male announcer ] make sure america's ready. make sure you're ready. at devry.edu/knowhow. ♪ everyone in the nicu, all the nurses wanted to watch him when he was there 118 days. everything that you thought was important to you changes in light of having a child that needs you every moment.

i wouldn't trade him for the world. who matters most to you says the most about you. massmutual is owned by our policyholders so they matter most to us. if you're caring for a child with special needs, our innovative special care program offers strategies that can help.

droid does. and does it launch apps by voice while learning your voice ? launch cab4me. droid does. keep left at the fork. does it do turn-by-turn navigation ? droid does. with verizon, america's largest 4g lte network, and motorola, droid does. get $100 off select motorola 4g lte smartphones like the droid razr. [ male announcer ] the exceedingly nimble, ridiculously agile, tight turning, fun to drive 2013 smart. ♪ welcome back. let's talk foreign policy. mitt romney says he doesn't believe in the president's leadership abilities when it comes to foreign policy.

romney and his surrogates have repeatedly aaccuseded president of the united states and the obama administration of leading from behind. as president romney says he would take a different approach to solve conflict in the middle east. he would do nothing. back in may speaking to the same group of donors at the private fund-raiser, romney dismissed prospects for peace between israel and the palestinians. >> these are problems and they're very hard to solve. for political purposes committed to the destruction and elimination of israel and these issues. i say there's no way, and so what you do is y move things along the best way you can and hope for some degree of stability, but you recognize that this is going to remain unsolved. we look at it and try to -- all right, we have a potentially volatile situation but we sort of live with, and we kick the

ball down the field and hope ultimately something will happen as a result. we don't go to war to try and resolve it imminently. on the other hand, i got a call from a former secretary of state. i won't which one it was. this individual said to me, you know, i think there's a prospect for a settlement between the palestinians and israelis after the palestinian elections. i said really? you know, the answer was yes. i think there's some prospect. i didn't delve into it. >> joining me tonight msnbc political analyst richard wolf who spent a lot of time in his journalism career studying foreign policy. no question about it. the white house says romney is offering the wrong approach. a top official told bloomberg news na romney shows complete ignorance of facts and realities. kick the ball down the field? doesn't this fly in the face of all of the criticism that romney

has thrown as president obama. unpack it for us. >> i'm not a psychologist, but this is pro jektsing. you say the other person is doing, but that's what you intend. if you believe, as i think most of us do, that american leadership in the world is absolutely critical and that's what mitt romney has said. if you believe -- this is the romney position and republican position. that actually this president is running a feckless foreign policy, you should be offering behind closed doors and in public this sense that america can do anything. he said you hope somewhere something will change us. that's not the american way. if it had been, bill clinton wouldn't have intervened in northern ireland which seemed an intractable as the israe israeli/palestinian conflict. that's been enduring in spite of hiccups. jimmy carter the man they dispar

r raj day in and day out. those elements have led to real changes in the world, and i don't understand why mitt romney would say one thing in public and another thing in private. >> every president, both parties have a commitment to resolving the israeli/palestinian conflict in the middle east. the israelis -- i will take the liberty to say they have been very strong on all of the american presidents demanding support and full-throated support and unwavering. doesn't this make the israelis think about what romney "celebrity apprentic is all about. netanyahu was on programs, and he says he doesn't want to get roped into the election. if you listen to mitt romney, this really puts israel on the map as far as having to take a position about who they're going to support. >> the israeli prime minister is a personal friend of mitt romney. he certainly should intervene and say, we don't want to be a

side thought here. there are significant parts of israeli political opinion that think that the palestinian problem is unresolvable. that's one aspect of it. actually, it doesn't help israel to be isolated like this. it doesn't help israel to have american leaders disengaged. you know, you have to go back to the bush administration. i suspect we all know who the secretaries of state he's been talking to are, they're republicans. the last republican secretary of state, condoleezza rice, believed that peace was within reach, and president bush needed to do more. they could have achieved more to achieve a real peace there. whether or not that's real, engagement makes a difference. >> two months after the fund ra razor, razor, he visited and said he was hopeful for a peaceful resolution. he believes in a two-state solution, which suggests two states including a jewish state. that's not what he told his

donors. are we to believe that or is that lip service? >> he doesn't give any time frame. maybe he believes another president will achieve it. what he said about the quote-unquote cultural problems that palestinians have, irng you' i think you're looking at a bleak and un-american view with what america can achieve with dip diplomacy. they said there's one way for the israeli/palestinian conflict to be reeve solved, and that's with presidential baby-sitting. handholding both sides. remember, egypt wasn't just another arab country that faced off against israel. it was the most formidable enemy. an american president dhanged that. >> here's what former secretaries of state richard armitage said about romney's comments. it's difficult to criticize the

president the in the middle east policy on one hand and then suggest on the other hand that the best you could do is kick the ball down the street. you know, at what point does the gop abandon this guy completely. you have seasoned senators who are on the senate armed services committee and foreign relations as well that they couldn't warm up to this comment. nen it's not feasible. >> the person you want to hear from right now is former secretary of state, former general colin powell. he endorsed president obama last time around. he hasn't said what he would do this time around. if there's a republican secretary of state who believed peace is in reach if you have american engagement, it would be him. >> richard wolf, great to have you with us. thanks for your time tonight. thank you. coming up, rush limbaugh is jumping for joy over mitt rom y romney's 47% remarks and other republicans aren't so happy. "newsweek's" michelle goldberg will weigh in. stay with us. bob...

oh, hey alex. just picking up some, brochures, posters copies of my acceptance speech. great! it's always good to have a backup plan, in case i get hit by a meteor. wow, your hair looks great. didn't realize they did photoshop here. hey, good call on those mugs. can't let 'em see what you're drinking. you know, i'm glad we're both running a nice, clean race. no need to get nasty. here's your "honk if you had an affair with taylor" yard sign. looks good. [ male announcer ] fedex office. now save 50% on banners. anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'.

up next, breaking news out of chicago. we'll have an update on the teachers strike. candidates are running from mitt romney after his caught on camera comments. michelle goldberg joins me on the right wing response. listen to my radio show on sirius 127 noon to 3:00 p.m. and on progressive talk stations around the country. follow me on twitter @edshow and like the ed show on facebook. we're coming right back. e and s. see the seam? e and s. more processed flakes look nothing like natural grains. i'm eating what i know is better nutrition. mmmm. great grains. search great grains and see for yourself. chances are, you're not made of money, so don't overpay for motorcycle insurance.

geico, see how much you could save.

and we are back and thanks for staying with us tonight. we have breaking news now. the chicago teachers strike is over. the first strike in some 25 years is over. union delegates have agreed to suspend the strike and allow chicago's 25,000 teachers to vote on the city's contract offer. mayor rahm emanuel said the union agreed to extend the school day. it's not a perfect contract. the teachers have been on strike since last week. students are set to go back to school tomorrow.

tonight in our survey i asked should mnitt romney exercise some personal responsibility and apologize to 47% of america? 95% say yes, 5% say no. coming up, romney's video kroefrts controversy is causing a rift in the republican party and putting them in ♪

why should saturday night have all the fun? get two times the points on dining in restaurants, with chase sapphire preferred. wanted to provide better employee benefits while balancing the company's bottom line, their very first word was... [ to the tune of "lullaby and good night" ] ♪ af-lac ♪ aflac [ male announcer ] find out more at... [ duck ] aflac! [ male announcer ] ...forbusiness.com. [ yawning sound ] i've been fortunate to win on golf's biggest stages. but when joint pain and stiffness

from psoriatic arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. because enbrel, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biolog medicine prescribed by rheumatologists.

why not get buried in something other than work?e biolog medicine get two times the points on travel, with chase sapphire preferred.

in the big finish tonight, is thre a riff in the republican party over mitt romney's video controversy? i'd say so. some righties are being critical of romney and some are asking where the real mitt romney has been all along? let's start with david brooks. he called the comment a country club fantasy. it's what millionaires say to each other and reenforces every negative view people have about romney. it remains important for the country that romney wins in november unless he chooses to step down and we can get the ryan/rubio ticket we deserve. on the flip side, you have the romney cheerleading squad. who is leading the way? rush limbaugh. he's so excited, he's come down with a case of gold fever. >> this is such a golden -- this

could be the opportunity for romney and for that campaign to finally take the gloves off and take the fear off and just start explaining conservatism. this is a golden opportunity and we know romney has got it in him because of what he said to these people. >> eric ericson is also on board. he wrote, the romney campaign should double down on what he said. they should own it. meanwhile it's causing headaches for republican seats across the seat. scott brown said today, that's not the way i view the world. there's also a close senate race between linda mcmahon. i disagree with governor romney's insinuation that 47% of americans believe they are victims. congressman murphy's campaign objects to mcmahon's statement. they were quick to post this video earlier today.

>> i'd like to see everyone pay their fair share. 47% of the people today don't pay any taxes. >> for more, let's turn to michelle goldberg, writer for "newsweek" and "the daily beast." this has created a riff. who has the potential upside in all of this? >> i think it's pretty obvious that rush limbaugh's incentives are different from those republicans that want to win elections. he has to speak to the base in the most inflamed section. he does as well financially either way whether republicans win or lose. probably better when they lose. if there's one party that loves to play the victim, i think we all know who it is. but romney clearly feels he has to listen to the rush limbaughs. that's the advice he seems to be taking.

>> i think he's right on this. this is really a golden opportunity for romney to make a last-ditch run. he had a bad spring, bad summer, not a good convention and now a rough run out of the convention. if he's going to make a turn to the conservative base, this gives him an opportunity to do that. we all know that the right wing is after the new deal. they want to get rid of all entitlements as they call them. why wouldn't this be seen as an opportunity by the romney camp? >> partly because he put a number to it. it's one thing to talk about moochers and parasites and those other people. but when you identify that as half the country, i think that that's basically their message. but that's not a message that anybody with any interest in winning an election wants to make publically. >> scott brown, in a tight race with elizabeth warren. politically calculated, that's

not how he views the world. how many other republicans out there that are concerned about this 47% story and this tape that's been released and revealed? it's just a treasure-trove of anti-romney stuff. >> and it's worth pointing out that in many of the states where republicans dominate, that's where, you know, you have kind of a lot of these 47%. >> the southern states. >> right. so inas much as candidates can make clear that 47% he's talking about you, it seems like it would be immensely damaging. >> but it gives the democrats an opportunity on the stump to use this. this is who they really are. they ought to be able to peel away seniors, peel away at anyone who has ever had any kind of government assistance whatsoever. what about people who have been unemployed and have gotten an unemployment check in tough times and bounced back into the

economy? there's a wide array of people that romney has -- >> has written off. >> alienated. it's his own voter suppression program right now. >> i mean, that's why i think, you know, often republicans say things that leave a lot of us shaking our heads or kind of clucking or expressing outrage. i think this has genuinely shocked a lot of people. >> do you think this lingers? >> i think it lingers in part because it's not just a gaffe. it's not just a slip of the tongue. when romney said earlier on he didn't care about poor people, people could say he was just misspeaking. when he said that inequality that people who talk about inequality are enveehouse, but he's made it clear that this is who he is. >> it's a clear admission that this nominee has had an inate